Could Kareem Abdul-Jabbar really have a shot at becoming the next UCLA coach?

As the Bruins look to replace the recently fired Ben Howland, UCLA already has struck out on VCU’s Shaka Smart and Butler’s Brad Stevens. Even former Bruins assistant Mark Gottfried, now the head coach at NC State, has said he’s committed to the Wolfpack.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar cares about his alma mater, and he wants to do something to fix it. (AP Photo)

So as the Bruins’ pool of logical and/or exciting candidates shrinks, would it be a stretch to consider one of the greatest Bruins of all time (three-time NCAA champion from 1967-69), albeit one who’s never been a college coach?